New Found Light
by Silvials
Summary: /AU/ Toothiana made a decision and moved to LA a year after her graduation to pursue her dreams without properly thinking things through. Now a waitress and a part time babysitter, she meets Jack by chance and that was the moment she realized her life in LA was only just beginning.
1. Chapter 1

_**Falling stars don't crash through your window. If you want it, go get it's meant to be chased.**_

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"_I want to be famous too when I grow up" she told them once and her parents—Rashmi and Haroom stared down at her, exchanging brief looks of mixed surprise and bafflement for they both knew that if Toothiana wanted something, there was no turning back. Of course that time she was still young and they thought she was only babbling. _

_Toothiana, or Tooth for short was only a mere child, six years of age to be exact. She was born to a fairly wealthy family in Thailand and is the only child of Rashmi and Haroom, often referred to as their little treasure. Of course she was spoiled to no end. Her parents loved her so much, they provided her with anything she asked for and gave her their endless attention._

_Despite this, Tooth never let go of her kind and friendly nature. She was verbose and out-spoken; at times even a hyper-active wild child who felt like there were no rules to hold her down. She often chatters and her words were always spoken so fast, they become incoherent. Sometimes she herself had no idea of what she was saying either. _

_The girl had big dreams and held high hopes for someone her age. Her round eyes always held a look of determination, depicting her relentless personality. It was the exact look she was giving them at the moment._

_Rashmi laughed, not a scornful laugh of disdain but a gentle amused giggle. She crouched down to Toothiana's eye level and held her small shoulders as she smiled. "Oh my little treasure, whatever do you mean by this?" the girl squirmed under her mother's grasp, uncomfortable of the set of heavy gazes that were now locked on her. She pursed her lips hesitantly, not sure of how to expound her thoughts. "Well, you know" she started childishly, giving them the wide eyed look of pure innocence they were all too familiar with. "Like those people in movies, I wanna be just like them some day, do you think I can?"_

_Faint disapproval flashed across Haroom's expression, disappearing as quick as it came. He too crouched down to look at her, placing a hand on her head and ruffling her hair fondly. "Of course you can some day, but you must understand. If you want to become someone like that…" he hesitated, deeming to choose the right words carefully. "You have to be persistent, and you have to be strong." He could feel Rashmi tense beside him. They both knew one day Tooth would eventually pursue her dreams and one day she would get hurt. _

"_But I'm strong," the girl insistent, puffing out her chest. "I can handle anything."_

"_Of course you can!" Rashmi reached out to run her fingers through the child's hair comfortingly. "But just remember we will always be there to help you."_

"_I don't have to remember it, I already know so." Tooth beamed at them brightly as she toyed with a strand of her hair. Though the idea of Toothiana leaving her home to go to Hollywood was a terrifying thought for her parents, they had no other choice but to encourage her as she grew, after all, they desired to keep her happy. They would support her whenever she was ready, but neither of them expected it would happen this soon. _

_As soon as Toothiana graduated from collage in a course of Performing Arts, she presented the idea of moving to Hollywood for some auditions to see if she could land a role in any movies. All Haroom could offer was a reluctant smile, but Rashmi was incredulous. _

"_This…you are practically throwing your life away!" She snapped, no matter how much she tried to keep her voice leveled, her anger was boiling up inside of her._

_Tooth was taken aback by her statement. Her eyes were wide and brimming as the tears began to glaze over but she angrily blinked them away, not wanting to seem weak. Shhe wanted to show them she could make her own decisions. "How is this throwing my life away?" she asked tightly, keeping her voice from quivering. "I am moving there to try some auditions and who knows, I might even land a role in a movie, even the smallest role would be alright for me, after all life is like a ladder right? You'll just keep climbing up until you reach the top." _

"_Toothiana you do not understand," Rashmi tried again. "You are too naïve, you do not just simply go to Hollywood for auditions. You must need agents; you need managers and someone who is willing to represent you."_

"_I can find those," the girl insisted. "I'll just live there for a while, go attend a few auditions and maybe I'll meet someone who is willing to represent me."_

"_It does not happen like that Tooth," her mother sighed in exasperation, running a hand through her hair. "Have you learned nothing from all those reality shows you watched? How those celebrities used to work in fast food chains just to earn money? Its not that easy to work there Tooth. You'll have a better chance here?"_

"_How do you know that?" Tooth accosted, giving her a pointed look. "You've never even been there! You are the one who kept repeating the saying to me right? You'll never know until you try."_

"_Toothiana you must listen to me." Her mother was pleading already. "You do not have enough experience with real life. Things just do not work the way you think they do, miracles will not happen immediately, especially if you are in California. You need to stay here for a couple more years, you'll have the chance to get a better job here and maybe while you are working, you can attend more acting classes."_

_Toothiana flopped onto her chair and buried her face in her hands. "Mother, I've been to so many summer workshops and acting classes during high school. I've joined so much plays, don't you think that's enough experience already?"_

"_Toothiana…" Rashmi shook her head. "No, that is not enough" as much as she hated to say those words, it is true. "High school is entirely different from working. You have to remember you have already graduated and your life won't always have instruction to tell you what to do."_

"_That's that point," the girl answered icily. "I am graduated and I can make my own decisions. I don't need your instructions to tell me where to go because I believe I'm making the right choice."_

_Rashmi couldn't understand. Toothiana was an excellent student, she excelled in her academics and had straight A's every year. She expected her to have more logic than this. "My dear" she sighed, taking a seat beside her, folding her hands calmly on her lap. "Dreams take long to fulfill, but right now you are moving so fast."_

"_I'm not moving too fast" Tooth turned away from her mother, directing her icy cold stare out the window. "This is just the starting point. I know there is still a long way to go, I know that mother. I don't need anymore acting classes. I've waited all my life for this. I believe I'm ready!"_

"_But what if you are not?" Rashmi inquired, her eyes burning with range albeit her tone was still kept neutral. "It is another country on the other side of the world. Things are entirely different there. You will be around total strangers and you will be truly alone. Is that what you want?"_

"_No" Tooth returned her gaze to meet her mother's eyes. "No I don't want that, but I can bare with it for a little while." Her voice had an edge but her tone eventually softened. "I believe I can do it mother, you have to believe I can too. Just let me try"_

_Rashmi began to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. Closing her eyes, she stood up slowly and strode over to the balcony. "It is dangerous there" she said in a hushed whisper, barely audible but the silence was so deep Tooth was able to hear her. The girl suddenly felt like she was a part of those fables where the mother bears tell her cubs how dangerous it is out in the wild. It didn't make sense to her. L.A wasn't dangerous, al she had to do was stay away from dark alleys in the night and she would be fine. She was just about to object when Rashmi's whisper sounded again. "As beautiful as it might sound, the city of dreams is filled with heartbreak and sorrow." _

_Toothiana stood up as well and paced towards her mother, reaching out a shaking hand to cup her shoulder somewhat comfortingly. "I know that mother….just let me try….let me stay there for maybe a year and when nothing happens, I'll come home…"_

"_There will be heartbreak…." Rashmi turned to her daughter, taking her smaller hands in hers. "There will be a lot of heartbreak."_

_Tooth nodded. "I know that already, I'm ready." She bowed her head and looked down at her own feet before raising her head again. "Remember what you told me when I was small. You and father told me to be strong. Now I am strong and I know I'm ready because I know you will be there for me." _

_The woman gave her a weak smile; remembering her own statement she said years ago. Somehow it still felt like yesterday and she could still see the little Toothiana standing at her feet telling her about her dreams. "Your father and I….we only want to protect you from that heartbreak…you must understand."_

"_I do" She gave her hands a comforting squeeze. "Just let me try"_

"Order is ready!" the voice made Tooth snap out of her trance, she tore her eyes away from her palms and looked behind her to find the chef peering from the counter with steaming plates of food ready to serve. "Better not doze of again lass, if you don't want to get fired," he added.

"I'm sorry," she bowed her head slightly in apology and rushed to gather the orders into a tray. She hurried over to the tables to serve the food. "Just let me try," she muttered along the way. "See mother, I am trying to make this work."

It has only been her third month living on her own and she was already having a hard time. On her first few weeks in California, it was like living her dream. The stars she used to love so much were outshined by the brilliant city lights and the air felt so much colder than what she had grown accustomed to. The sound were a little deafening, loud music blaring from the speakers, car horns sounding and even the loud chatters of the strangers that walked by her. It felt like a whole different universe, but nonetheless she actually loved it there.

She managed to rent a small apartment for her to stay in while she went to a few auditions for small budget movies, TV movies and even cheap commercials, although the directors she tried for called her back only to inform her she didn't get the part, some never even called back at all.

After a few more weeks, she began to struggle. She figured couldn't land any roles any time soon so she decided to take a job in the Café not far from where her building was. It wasn't that bad, the pay was enough, and her boss was nice. The customers were okay too, most of them were up for a chat, some were grumpy and occasionally there are some who were downright rude, but she didn't mind. That's how life is after all. She recalled how grumpy she was the first time she didn't get even _a part _in the four auditions she went to.

Her parents called her once in a while to ask how she was doing but she would only lie and tell them she was casted in a short film which would be out _soon. _She knew they would only send her back when she told them the truth and she didn't want that. No matter how much she missed the warm comforts of her home, she wasn't ready to leave yet, even if the year she promised to stay has passed, she wouldn't leave yet. She would keep trying; keep climbing up until she reached the top.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, startling her a little. After she had served the orders, she set the tray aside and hauled herself up to sit on the counter top. She fumbled inside her apron and fished out her phone. An unknown number flashed on the screen along. A tinge of hope swelled in her heart as she pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear, hoping it was a call back from an audition. "Hello? Yes this is her—oh, baby-sit this weekend? Okay, just text me the address and I'll be there at…um—oh 5pm? Alright, thank you ma'am."

Tooth sighed and shoved the phone back into her pocket when the woman hung up. The pay in the café was good enough, although it only served sufficient for her bills. She charged $10 dollars an hour for baby-sitting, though it might not sound much, it was enough to prevent her from getting kicked out of her apartment.

Looks like she was going to have another restless weekend and she was only getting a little whiff of how hard life could be…

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**Song: **Forever Unstoppable by Hot Chelle Rae


	2. Chapter 2

_**It's hard enough trying to live your life but not following your dreams, did you dare decide? If you don't love what you to, it's not right for you.**_

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The door flew open and more customers came bustling in. The ginger-haired girl set aside the book she had been reading and hurried around the counter to take down their orders, leaving Tooth alone with a tray full of coffee. "Hey, help me out here" she called and the girl looked over her shoulder as she fumbled for a pen and a notepad in the pockets of her apron. "In a minute" she said and dashed towards a couple whose patience seemed to be wearing thin.

Her name was Mary Katherine or M.K as she preferred to be called. She was an 18 year old who moved to California after her father was offered a job. With her mother gone, her father's income wasn't quite adequate and so she worked a summer job at the diner to help him save up for her collage fund.

"Alright, here I am" M.K came back shortly, clutching her notepad in her hand. She slid the loose slips into the window where the chef was then tuned around to face Tooth. "Ugh, these customers just don't stop coming" she took a few cups out of Tooth's tray and gathered them in her own. Lifting the dish, she held it above her head with three fingers in a rather showy manner and smirked mirthfully at Toothiana before stalking off.

The dark-haired waitress only rolled her eyes in a jovial manner and picked up her own set of orders, greeting each customer with a pleasant "good morning" as she gave out the steaming mugs.

The pair strode back to the counter, each leaning heavily on either side of it. "These people just won't stop coming" M.K groaned and flicked a strand of hair away from her face angrily.

"Maybe it's a good thing, I mean we could end up getting a raise." Tooth said in a way that seemed too cheerful for such a stressful day of work. It did not help lighten the mood but at least it brought a small smile to M.K's face. "Tooth, I have no idea how you manage to stay so happy most of the time."

She returned her smile and cut in quickly before the other had the chance to say anything else. "It's early in the morning M' don't tell me you're tired already."

"As a matter of fact I am" M.K said, although it sounded more like she was drawling. She lets out a yawn as she prepares a few more mugs for the coffee. "My dad kept me up all night playing bat noises in his phone."

"Bat noises?" Tooth's eye brows flew up as she came around the counter to lend her a hand. "May I ask why he was playing bat noises, in his _phone?"_

"Oh, you know my dad" the younger girl shrugged. "It's something about his research as always." The mugs were filled again. The steam rose into the air and wafted over to kiss Toothiana's cheeks. It was a familiar warmth that reminded her of the caramel tea her mother used to make her. The thought made her feel a sense of longing and her heart tightened.

"I come from a strange family, I know" M.K words broke her out of her trance. She shook away the thought immediately. "Oh, I come from a strange family too…to you guys I mean…but I'm not saying you guys are weird or anything….oh you get the point."

"Oh right," M.K pointed her pen towards her as she struggled to remember. "You are from Thailand right?"

"Yeah, thinks are just so different around her." Tooth said and sighed wistfully.

"At least you are out of collage" M.K pointed out, pulling a rag from her apron and wiping the splatters of coffee that had spilled over the counter. "Last year was a totally hectic year for me, so much projects and research and oh…I don't even want to think about it."

"I kinda wanna go back to collage" Tooth admitted absently as she collected the mugs together in a tray. "I mean in school it seems like there is always someone there to tell you what to do….but now that you can practically do whatever you want, you've got no idea if your doing it right nor not."

"I guess you never know what you might miss until it's actually gone. Hey, I'm still in collage and I'm facing the wrath of reality already." She emphasized by holding up the stained rag in her hand. "But I guess it's just sort of training to ready me for what's gonna come _after _I graduate."

"Well, if you look at it that way, I guess it doesn't seem that bad."

M.K agreed with her wordlessly and Toothiana hefted a tray to her shoulder level, gave out the orders and sauntered back, fast as a hummingbird.

"How bout you Tooth, how are your auditions going?" The ginger haired girl asked suddenly as she settled on the countertop and sat cross-legged.

Toothiana did not answer at first as she silently cleared away the used dishes from the table near by. "Haven't gotten a single call back for the passed month." Her tone was uncharacteristically bitter which bewildered M.K a little. It made her feel terrible for even asking. "Hey, hang in there, it'll come soon" she reassured, although she was having a hard time convincing herself as well. She never had big dreams like Tooth's but somehow she understood how it felt to set high hopes and get nothing in return. "You know how Hollywood works, it normally takes a few more years and then you'll get a breakthrough."

"But in order to get a breakthrough, I'd have to actually _land _a role." Tooth lowered her chin and avoided the other girl's eyes and she cleared away the remnants of food from her table. "Bit I don't really have that much time to do that, I don't even have an agent."

"Maybe you can convince your parents to let you stay a little while longer?" Mary Katherine suggested hopefully, leaning towards her.

Tooth puts it in thought but then sighs in defeat, her shoulders sagging. "It was hard enough to convince them to let me stay for a year. Sorry, I spoiled the morning "

"Oh no, don't worry about it" M.K brushes her with a gesture. "I do it all the time anyway. I guess life just makes _everyone_ complain." She took a breath and wiped the sweat away from her forehead with the back of her palm. "Hey why don't you come by to my house this weekend?"

Tooth gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I can't this weekend, I have to baby-sit."

The 18 year old tilted her head at her curiously. "Baby-sit? Okay I'll understand if you have an audition to go to but baby-sitting? When did this happen?"

Toothiana ran a hand through her hair in a way that made her seem spent, as if she was sick of all this and was ready to head home, but the gleam of determination quickly replaced the look as soon as it came. "My budget is beginning to waver; I can't afford getting kicked out of my apartment."

"If you do" Mary Katherine began teasingly. "You can always crash at my place. It's a mess and you'd probably see my dad dissecting some kind of cross-breed insect but I guess that'd be fine with you."

Toothiana jabbed her in the arm and the two broke into a fit of laughter. It was then, a tray of omelets were pushed out of the kitchen window and the gruff voice of the chef called back their attention. "Order is ready"

"I guess its time to get back to work then," said M.K as she slid off the counter top and adjusted the strings of her apron.

/

It was before midday when the customers started to trickle away, leaving the café almost empty, save a few who were having brunch. Toothiana sat on a stool by the register, breaking her fast with a slice of apple cake and tea. Her laptop was set in front of her as she scrolled through various articles in search for more auditions. Her eyes were beginning to throb from staring at the screen for the passed hour. Right now she felt no different from someone who was lost in a forest; it seemed that every path she wandered into led to the same place, which was here in the café. Every role she came across weren't grand but they certainly were out of her league. Without an agent of any sponsor to represent her, she was sure she did not stand a chance; she had learned that from the passed few weeks of trying.

Her frustration was starting to build up to the point where she had to resist the urge to pound on the keypad. She fingers were fidgeting tremulously and the only thing that held her back was the fact that she could never afford another laptop if she destroyed this one.

Letting out a groan, she buried her face in her hands and her fingers instinctively gripped onto her hair as if it was ready to pull it out at any moment.

"Hey Tooth" M.K gave her a little nudge on the shoulder, breaking her thoughts. "That guy is totally checking you out."

Tooth's cheeks visibly colored as she lifted her head and eyed the other girl with mock annoyance. "Oh will you stop teasing!"

"I am not!" the collage student shrugged and shot her the most innocent look she could muster. "Why don't you see for yourself?" she jutted chin towards the table beside the glass windows. Tooth's eyes followed wherever she was gesturing and indeed she found a lone figure, no older than her, she surmised, dressed in a blue wind-breaker and a pair of dark tattered jeans. His hair held the oddest shade she's ever seen, somewhere in between blonde and silver white. Though the shadows concealed his face, his bright sapphire eyes were prominent, catching the light of the morning that filtered though the glass and they were looking at her, not necessarily fixed on her, but she could definitely tell he was glancing at her direction.

"I told you so" M.K told her over her shoulder, favoring her with a mischievous smirk.

"How long has he been there?" she asked and turned away sharply from the stranger to face her friend, silently hoping that her face wasn't showing any color. "What's he ordering."

"Coffee, like all the other creeps here order" the other girl answered, despite herself, the smirk had never left her lips and Tooth was beginning to tense at the thought of what she might make her do. "I already gave him a cup and I told him the coffee will be coming soon, which _you _will be bringing to him." she elbowed her arm playfully.

"What!?" Toothiana stared at her incredulously as if M.K had suddenly sprouted another head and wasn't aware of it. "Why would you do that?"

"Uh, because he's checking _you _out!" M.K said like it was the most casual thing to do. "Come on, put him out of his misery and go _chat _with him a little."

"But…" the 22 year old craned her neck and took a glimpse at the stranger. His eyes had never left them, but it seems his gaze was fixed more on M.K than her. "What if he is checking _YOU _out? What then huh smarty pants?"

"Oh don't be silly!" M.K brushed her off with a simple shrug and crossed her arms. "I have been running around all day and his eyes have been on you this whole time." She practically shoved her forward "Stop being so hard on yourself, get him some coffee and go have a little chat with him." She practically shoved her forward.

"Alright fine!" she yanked the carafe right out of the coffee maker and stiffly made her way over to the stranger, grumbling something incoherently under her breath. AS she approached, she forced upon a smile and greeted him. "Good morning sir" she momentarily forgot about the carafe filled with coffee she was gripping in her hands. "May I take your order?"

"Well, there was that coffee I ordered but it never came" his tone was nothing but jesting as he pushed aside the things he had been working on before and lolled his head one side to return her smile.

Now that his features were not completely obscured by the shadow of the blinds, she felt herself growing a little flustered at his regard and her heart was racing in a wild and uncontrolled beat. "Sorry!" Tooth blurted out suddenly then pursed her lips when she realized how ridiculous she sounded. "I'm sorry, the coffee is here, I'm sorry it took so long."

He shook his head, "nah it's fine"

Toothiana took his mug and began to fill it with coffee. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the boy had his gaze on her again and she couldn't seem to shake off the jittery feeling whenever he was doing that.

The coffee already had began to spill out of the rims of the glass and she hadn't noticed.

"Uh, coffee is spilling" His voice seemed to have pulled her back to reality, for she tugged at the carafe with a sudden jolt, it caused the caffeine to spill over the floor instead. "I'm sorry!" she gasped and proceeded to fumble for a clean rag somewhere in her apron. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—oh I'm really sorry!"

"It's…..its fine, hey, no harm done alright?" He took a few table napkins and helped her clean up the mess. "You new at this"

"Sort of" she answered, a little surprised that her voice wasn't quivering at all. "You're a regular diner?"

"Yeah, it's a nice place to work." There was something about him that seemed cocky about him, yet charming as well, Tooth couldn't decide which side was dominating but she suddenly became aware of how hot her cheeks were beginning to feel.

The boy must have noticed as well, for a smirk spread across his face and she couldn't decide weather to feel amused or irritated. "I just started two weeks ago." She told him anyway, despite what she felt inside.

The cherry wood table had been wiped dry when the stranger abruptly sat up, glaring at the wall clock. "Gotta take off."

"But what about the things you ordered?"

"I'm running late" he pulled out a few bills from his pockets and handed them to her. "Here, keep the change."

He shoved his things into his backpack and hurried to the doorway, leaving a ver confused Tooth. Before he disappeared out the doorway, he turned to the girl again. "By the way, I'm Jack, thanks for your help" then he was gone.

Tooth suddenly got the feeling she was about to see a lot more from him in the days to come. She didn't know why she was feeling so excited about it….

* * *

**Song: **It's Not right For You by The Script

**I don't know why I am having such a hard time expressing my thoughts into words with this story, perhaps it's just writer's block? Ugh, its always writer's block -_-**

**Oh! I realized I haven't said anything to you guys.**

**Thanks for reading! I appreciate your reviews/follows/favorites. The summary would probably continue to change though, fanfiction didn't quite like the one I prepared when I was planning this fic (in other words, it did not fit)**

**I own nothing apparently, M.K is from the movie Epic and all rights got to their respective creators. **

**Crossover characters will continue to appear, Eugene, Rapunzel, Hiccup and maybe even Else will come in the latter chapters but sorry to the shippers for there will be ABSOLUTELY NO JELSA or any love triangles. Sorry, that's just not my thing. **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn't wanna live there**_

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Mrs. Bennett was tall and slim, somewhere in the middle of her thirties. Telling from her unruly hair tied into a messy ponytail and the slightly dark lines under her eyes, Tooth immediately guessed she was a workaholic.

The summer weather wasn't getting any cooler but despite this the woman still wore a cardigan that seemed a little too big for her. It was neatly buttoned up to her neck, which made it hard to see what was tucked underneath, although it hung loosely around her frame and ran down her white pants until it almost reached her knees. Mrs. Bennett could be a doctor for all Tooth knew, and she might be the only thing delaying her from some kind of emergency.

Just the thought of it made her feel even guiltier for arriving so late. The address sent to her belonged to a neighborhood called Burgess and she had been right when she thought she had seen it somewhere near the diner. She remembered passing by it the time she was looking for jobs, though it proved to be impossible to find the place again. Any street aside from the one that led from the diner to her apartment seemed more like a whole mess of roads and labyrinth-like alleyways without any landmarks to take note of. Tooth didn't know how long she had been spinning around in circles until she finally brought herself to ask directions from a man in a trenchcoat waiting by the bus stop.

It was Mrs. Bennett who convinced her otherwise and in that moment, Tooth's guilt temporarily faded away. Her face was kind and she did not scowl like the way most teachers do when a student was late for their class, instead she greeted her with a bright smile, opened the door wider and beckoned her inside.

After introducing her to the children and hurrying over a few reminders, Mrs. Bennett took her leave, saying that she had an urgent meeting to attend to.

The sound of her running engine and the grumbling tires eventually faded eventually faded into the streets, reining the house into a complete silence save for the constant ticks of the clock that seemed to grow louder with each passing second. Tooth stood hesitantly at the threshold, absently memorizing the layout of the room whilst thinking of what exactly to say. She could tell the house was old, judging from the almost faded floral wallpaper that was beginning to peel off as well, although the house was certainly big, a lot more spacey and a lot more comfortable than the box that was her apartment.

The door opened up into the living room and the kitchen, separated by a row of marble countertops and further behind, there was a set of wooden stairs.

There was a couch situated at the center of the room, a few feet away from the TV set on the glass center table. Jamie Bennett was perched at the edge, his body sagging into the cushions at his back with one of his arms slung over his stomach lazily. Tooth suspected it was his first time to be left with a baby-sitter. He was obviously trying to look comfortable, but his expression gave away what he felt inside.

Sophie Bennett didn't seem to care for anything at all, as she expected from most two-year-olds. The little girl was laying on her stomach, sprawled across the carpeted floor, seeming too absorbed in her building blocks, she didn't appear to notice her presence.

It took time for Tooth to realize this was her first time to baby-sit someone aside from her cousins. Most of them were no more than ten, bubbly and enthusiastic, sometimes even impossible to control when they were all together, but strangely enough, all of them seemed to listen to her, as if she were their queen. It is why she even chose to baby-sit in the first place, thought she hoped it would it would work the same way with Jamie and Sophie.

The first few moments passed in punctuating silence with Tooth standing by the threshold, unsure of what to say while Jamie shifted around his spot on the couch restlessly and Sophie continued building a tower out of her blocks, seemingly oblivious of anything else.

After a while, Jamie finally brought himself to voice his thoughts and it turns out he only felt awkward because it was his first time to have a girl for a baby-sitter. Tooth only laughed and assured him she wouldn't be boring, she then moved from the doorway to settle beside Jamie as he began to ramble about the time he was left with his grandmother.

"She taught me how to knit" he said, frowning slightly at the not so fond memory. "I told her I wasn't interested but she kept on insisting. You know, I ended up tangled in a spider web of thread and it took hours to get myself out of it."

Tooth couldn't help a smile of amusement tugging at the corners of her lips. "Did you think _I _was gonna make you knit too?" she asked, feigning offense and it made Jamie flush and squirm uncomfortable again, which only made Tooth more amused. "Hey, it's okay, no need to get all tense."

"Sorry, I just have no idea how girls think." The boy admitted rather sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "To be honest I thought you were just gonna leave us in the living room while you chat on the phone….or at least that's what I see on TV"

"Well, your lucky I'm not that kind of baby-sitter" Tooth smiled and leaned back against the cushions casually, careful to sit a little sideways, so as not to accidentally kick Sophie, who was still absorbed in building a crooked tower out of the blocks. "So what do you want to do?"

Jamie suggested they watch a horror movie but Tooth decided it wasn't such a good idea, not with Sophie still in the living room. They ended up playing _Need for Speed _in Xbox, with Tooth doing an absolutely horrible job at it but eventually got used to the controllers after a few rounds. Just as Jamie was about to reach an eight in a row win, Sophie tired of her building blocks, clambered over the couch and gave his joystick a thwack, which caused Jamie's car to spiral out of control and crash into the bleachers. This jostled the siblings into a petty argument, but Tooth was able to break them apart easily by threatening to take away the desert in the fridge.

While they were having dinner (which was just mainly pasta and oven-heated pizza) Tooth found out that Mrs. Bennett had always been busy with her job as an advertising manager and got even more absorbed in her work after she and her husband decided to get a divorce. The way Jamie explained it so casually made Tooth wonder how she would feel if that ever happened to her parents, which left her dwelling on the topic for quite a while until Jamie mentioned something else that suddenly piqued her interest.

"Your old baby-sitter?"

"Yeah, his name is Jack; he used to live next door but he moved out after he got a job."

She couldn't help but think of the Jack she had met at her diner, the tall guy whose hair was an impossible shade of silvery white. Could the world really be that small?

Then she thought of how common the name _Jack _was and shook her head at the possibility. _Nah, it couldn't be_

When she offered no further response, the boy added "He's a really fun guy. He always baby sits me and Sophie whenever my mom gets called into a sudden meeting."

"Am _I _not fun?" Tooth asked in a tone that feigned accusation and raised her brow at him. it only earned her a spluttered out response and she only laughed and ruffled his hair fondly.

After dinner, Sophie asked Tooth to play _doctor _with her and her dolls while Jamie wanted to show her another one of his video games but Tooth decided it would be best to do the dishes first before anything else. It wasn't much of a task anyway, it was just a couple of plates and utensils they used for the pasta.

Tooth was halfway done when the doorbell suddenly rang. She glanced at the wall clock hanging on the living room wall adjacent to where she was. The glaring red numbers read 7:30. _It must be Mrs. Bennett. _

Despite Jamie's reluctance at the idea of a new baby sitter a little while earlier, he seemed a little upset that his mother had arrived home from work already.

"She was never this early before" he muttered as he half-heartedly picked himself off and trudged towards the threshold to answer the door. Tooth went along with him, just in case and as she passed by, Sophie tugged at her sleeve. "You'll come back again right?" she nodded and patted her head, "of course I will"

When she opened the door for Jamie, she all but expected to find a young man waiting by the front porch. It was unmistakably the same guy she met at the diner just a day ago.

/

This was starting to remind Tooth of all the cliché romance movies she never really liked, about a guy meeting a girl by chance then part ways, only to run into each other again in the most unlikely place. The thought came unbidden and she quickly pushed it aside and managed to greet "hello" which sounded somewhere in between a coke and a laugh.

Jack on the other hand seemed a lot more composed. Sure he was surprised to see her at the door and she caught a brief moment of confusion flash over his face before it disappeared altogether into that all too familiar smirk that somehow planted itself at the back of her mind and never escaped from her thoughts ever since.

After all the unnecessary introductions, Jamie practically dragged Jack, but not without tackling him into an embrace first. They were all settled in the living room (yes, Sophie also tackled Jack into a hug that nearly caused him to fall over) when Jack told Jamie that he had already met Tooth.

"Wait, you guys no each other?" the child wore a look of indignation, his hands curling into fist as if they had offended him somehow. The look was so comical it was hard for them to hold back their chuckles.

"I think acquaintance would be the right word," Jack told Jamie after he was done attacking them with questions. His eyes lazily flitted over to Tooth, "I was expecting to see a lot more from you in the diner, but here? Are you sure you're not stalking me?"

"No!" she answered, perhaps a little too quickly which only earned her a snort from Jack. He raised his arms in surrender when she leveled him with a death glare, "Hey, I'm sorry. I was just wondering why you are here, of all places."

"I happen to have a very good explanation to that. I'm baby sitting them."

Jack propped himself up from here he was slumped against the armrest and took a look around the house. "Wow, I'm surprised you managed to keep everything in order."

"Hey!" Jamie protested immediately "We're not _that _bad"

"Remember that time Sophie had a sugar rush?"

And that was enough to make her react.

Tooth thought it would be best not to say anything, but she just couldn't help it. "That's horrible for your teeth!" she blurted only to mentally slap herself for crying that out loud when all three heads swiveled to look at her.

"Tooth," Jack said as a reply instead, almost musingly. His eyes were fixed on her again, which definitely did _not_ help her feel less jittery. "I've been wondering where you got your name. Care to tell us?"

Tooth was a little relieved when Jack steered them into another topic but now it only left her with a sick feeling of longing as the thoughts of home ran through her mind. She pursed her lips, worried that she might start rambling again if she didn't.

Jack saw this as a sign of hesitance and lent forward, his forearms resting on his knees. He was looking at her somewhat encouragingly and with those deep blue eyes fixated at her, it only made her stomach twist into anxious knots.

"How bout this, tell me something about yourself and I'll tell you something about me" he suggested after a long moment's pause. "Is that a fair enough trade, Tooth?" his tone was playful and easy, and the way he addressed her made it seem like they've known each other all their life.

This relaxed the tension in her stomach and she found herself able to be more relaxed around him. Tooth mimicked his actions; she leaned back against the cushions of the couch and stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles. "So, I guess I'm starting then."

So she told them she was from Thailand and that she came here to look for a stable job, hoping to be able to live in California permanently someday. It wasn't a lie, though it wasn't the entire truth either. She never thought her dreams were impossible, though now that she was working as a waitress and a part time baby-sitter, telling them that would just seem absurd.

Tooth did not elaborate any further and Jack did not push. In return he told her about himself. He's 24, only two years older than her, his little sister's name is Emma and he works as sketch artist in a film industry. She thought it was an amazing job, though when she asked him about it, he only gave a half-hearted shrug and told her it was like any other job.

Time slowly trickled by as Jack told him more about California, about the things that happen everyday, about the places she needed to go and about the events she really needed to see.

They continued their chat for a few more hours, occasionally joined in by Jamie and Sophie with their enthusiastic remarks about certain things. Tooth decided to take them to bed when they both grew silent all of a sudden. Sophie was already asleep by that time, slumped over the armrest. Jamie was a little defiant to go to bed at first but she caught him muffling a yawn and he had no choice but to follow her upstairs.

When the two were finally put to bed, Tooth paused at the top of the staircase. The prospect of being alone in the living room with Jack is unnerving.

She's never really had much experience with guys. She's been friends with some, like the Australian and Russian exchange students and a mute boy who had narcolepsy but none of them were like Jack, who was both cocky and charming and is always ready with a witty remark. It left her in the dark, and she had no idea how to deal with him at all.

She lingered at the top of the staircase for a little while longer, probably musing whether she should just stay there and wait until Mrs. Bennett comes back. She risked a glance through the wooden framework of the railings but much to her dismay, Jack caught sight of her immediately. "You still think I'm a burglar?"

"What?" Tooth descended a few steps and peered over the railings, not sure who the question was being addresses too. It's not like there was anyone else in the house. "What do you mean?""

"You look like you're about to call the police on me, you're not about to do that are you?" He had his brows drawn together in what seemed like anger, though the smirk that pulled at the corner of his lips told her otherwise.

"No! of course not" She covered the rest of the distance down the stairs and plopped onto the edge of the couch beside him, trying to put as much distance in between them without making it obvious, "I was just thinking, that's all."

Jack simply nodded in response and looked away, suddenly seeming distraught. Tooth thought they would spend the rest of the time in straining silence, until Jack broke it with another question. "Hey, I forgot to ask, how are you finding L.A so far?"

"It's certainly better than the pictures I've seen" she paused to draw a heavy sigh, "Though it's a lot harsher than it seems."

Tooth didn't know what she would expect from Jack. She expected him to chuckle, she expected him to respond with another smirk and a snide remark. She didn't expect him to nod in agreement. "Not really the city of dreams is it? I guess the real world just doesn't work that way."

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't" Tooth meant it as a simple comment, although it came out more like a scoff. When she turned to Jack, he was looking at her and this time he didn't look away upon being discovered. It almost seemed as if he could see through all her lies just by looking at her eyes. Tooth felt the beginnings of a blush warm her cheeks and quickly broke their gaze.

"You're not really here just to look for a job, are you?" he asked after a moment of pensive silence and Tooth could still feel his eyes on her.

Tooth shook her head. "No…not really" She heard Jack shift in his seat once more. Perhaps he wanted to ask something else but if he did, she wouldn't know.

The sound of a clicking lock interrupted her train of thought, followed by the creak of an opening door. "Sorry for being so late" Mrs. Bennett's voice drifted through the adjoining hallway until she reached the doorframe of the living room.

The two stood up to greet her and Mrs. Bennett stopped shortly at the sight of Jack, the tired smile never leaving her face. "Jack, I didn't know you were going to visit."

"I was free today so I thought I'd come by" He explained, returning her greeting with the usual smile and a slight dip of his head.

"I see you've met Tooth" Mrs. Bennett said as she crossed the living room to place her bags on the kitchen counter top. Seeing Tooth gave her a sudden reminder of how late it was and she quickly fumbled though her purse and handed Tooth her payment. "I'm sorry for being this late. There is just so much going on at the clinic."

"No, it's not really a big deal." Tooth said as she tucked the money into her pocket, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed for the next 24 hours and be dead to the rest of the world. "Besides, Jamie and Sophie were a lot of fun to be with." She added and that was the truth. It's been a while since she's spoken to her cousins; she had long forgotten the feeling of being around children.

"I'm glad to hear they behaved. Can you look after them again whenever you are free?"

Tooth smiled, unable to contain her joy. "Sure, just give me a call."

They exchanged their good-byes and Tooth was just about to head for the door when he heard the sound of footsteps follow behind her. She turned around just as Jack brushed passed her and pulled open the door.

"I'm driving you" he said simply without turning around to see her consent.

"Wh-wait, I can walk back—"

"Do you know the way?"

She hesitated.

"Then come on"

Tooth had to jog a little to keep up with his pace but he was out the door before they could fall in step. She tried to protest a few more times, but Jack seemed so keen on ignoring her that it left her no choice but to follow.

He led her to his car, which was dark blue Prius parked slightly farther away from the house's curb.

After Jack dug out the key's he opened the door to the passenger's seat and gestured for het to get in. It took quite a moment of musing, and Jack had already started the engine by the time Tooth finally relented and slipped into the seat beside him.

She couldn't help but admire the interior of the car. It obviously wasn't a hand-me-down, neither was it a reconditioned model. The air was still heavy with the scent of new leather and the wooden linings around the stereo and on the armrests were still ornate with varnish. Wherever Jack was working, he's certainly doing a lot better than she was.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. The only sound that filled the space was the faint hum of the engine as Jack maneuvered the car through the flow of traffic. When Tooth said she'll walk back, she hadn't considered the factor of getting lost, but now as she peered out into the streets, she couldn't even tell which way she had come from.

The ride was taking longer than she expected and the growing silence did little to diminish her awkward discomfort. Tooth shifted around in her heat but whether or not she was trying to get Jack's attention, she didn't know.

Thankfully, Jack spoke again after a few minutes, the straining silence presumably seeming deafening to him as well. He pointed out a few things along the way, mostly were shops or landmarks to take note of so she wouldn't get lost the next visit. He even offered to take her sight seeing some time, to which Tooth had smiled to, not quite sure on how else to reply.

"Alright, is this it?"

Tooth peered out the window again and finally recognized the shabby brick walled building that loomed over behind the diner.

"There," she gestured at the building and Jack rounded the corner before pulling to a stop at the doorstep.

Tooth unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car, but not before saying quick thanks. Just as she shut the door, Jack rolled down the passenger window and gave her a quick salute of goodbye.

"You know you didn't have to drive me, right?"

"Its okay" He jerked his head behind him, indicating the road that stretched farther away from the diner. "I happen to be heading that way."

"So…"

"I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah…"

He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't know what. In the end he settled for a simple smile and rolled up the window again.

Tooth watched his car disappear out of view before turning around to enter the apartment lobby with an unfamiliar flutter in her chest.

* * *

**Song: **The Real World by Owl City


	4. Chapter 4

_**I wonder what would happen if you say what you wanna say and let the words fall out. Honestly, I wanna see you be brave.**_

* * *

It was five minutes before her shift officially started when Tooth finally appeared outside the café. She paused outside to check her reflection on the glass doors and found herself looking more disheveled than she did when she left her apartment. She absolutely hates sleeping in; it felt like she was wasting away a good part of the day which is why she wasn't exactly in the best of moods right now.

The soft chime of the bell alerted M.K of another presence and she diverted her attention from her textbook to see Tooth swiping her time card across the digital bandy clock looking uncharacteristically miserable. She trudged across the café with her shoulders slightly hunched and she appeared to be dragging her shoulder bag across the floor from where she was sitting. "So…I suppose you had a good weekend?" She jokingly inquires. Taking in her unkempt appearance, M.K could tell she hadn't gotten much sleep, although she chose not to address that and attempted to keep the mood light.

Tooth wasn't exactly upset about anything, although it wasn't exactly a good weekend for her either. It was already 11pm when she arrived at her apartment after baby-sitting Jamie and Sophie. For most part of the night she couldn't seem to get Jack out of her head and after a few moments of tossing and turning, she gave up and ended up staring blankly at the ceiling until her mind finally drifted off. She managed to get some sleep, though it was only for a few hours and before she knew it, the sun was already prying through her curtains. She spent one half of her Sunday on Face Time with her parents and the other half getting a handful of laundry done. When night finally came, Tooth was on the internet again, searching for any open-call auditions at the nearby theaters. It had become somewhat of a routine for her to check every night since the day she moved into her apartment, albeit this time Tooth was growing increasingly frustrated every time she clicked _refresh _and found nothing. It was until her frustration turned into somewhat of an addiction and she stayed online for hours until her eyes lids felt like lead. That was when she took a glance at the time on the corner of the screen and found out it was nearly midnight.

_And it's why it all came to this._ Tooth thought to herself but she was too distraught on eying the place where Jack sat the other day to answer M.K's question.

The younger girl immediately takes notice. She set her textbook away and slid off the countertop just as Tooth came up beside her and unceremoniously deposited her belongings onto a nearby chair. "Hey," M.K shouldered her gently and the sudden nudge seemed to have startled Tooth out of her thoughts. "What's going on with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Tooth greeted her with her usual smile first before she pulled out her apron from her bag and tied it around her waist with a careless knot. She sighed, pretending to rub her eyes wearily for the sake of keeping her gaze in place. "It's nothing really, just tired from baby-sitting that's all."

Tooth was well aware that her answer was vague enough to give rise to suspicion but much to her surprise, M.K did not press on, the brunette only slumped back against the counter and shot her textbook a tired glance. "So looks like I'm not the only one who had a bad weekend."

Now that Tooth finally got a proper look at her, M.K appeared to be as weary as she felt which made Tooth feel genuinely concerned for her. Before she got the chance to flood her with questions however, M.K stopped her immediately with an assuring smile. "No, it's nothing serious. It's just that it's almost finals week again and I just spent the whole weekend in another study group—and I guess I'm kind of worried about my dad too, his been growing too obsessed with his research lately…"

Tooth tore her eyes away from M.K for a moment as she thought of what to say, although she wasn't able to keep her gaze from flicking back to the two-seater round table by the window. The next moment she blinked, she saw M.K waving a palm in front of her face. Tooth tried to formulate another excuse again, but it was somewhere along the intelligent lines of "uh…."

"Okay, what is with that seat and why do you keep staring at it?"

Tooth could tell M.K already had her assumptions judging from how she crossed her arms at her with a slight smirk tugging her lips. She knew there was no chance she could shift them into another topic and there was no purpose with trying to come up with an excuse knowing M.K would wheedle the answer out of her eventually.

"Do you remember that guy Jack who sat there the other day?" Tooth was a little surprised at how she managed to keep her voice leveled, but that moment was short lived once M.K cocked an eyebrow at her and tilted her head towards the spot she was referring to.

"Did he ask you out then? Is that why you are acting so out of depth today?"

The only answer she could offer to that was an incoherent stammer that sounded like _'what?'_

"So he did then?"

"No! I sort of just ran into him again and we talked for a while…that's it.""Hang on, where _did _you meet him again?"

"That's the funny thing actually. He used to live next door to the kids I was baby-sitting and he happened to stop by and visit on that day." Tooth wanted to laugh at how insane it all sounded. The only time she saw heard of someone running into someone who can be considered as a total stranger again was when she was watching those cliché rom-com movies with her friends back in college. She never had a liking for those movies. She bets her friends would be absolutely _thrilled_ when they hear about her situation.

"That seems like a good thing then." M.K said after she gave up on trying to read her thoughts. "Why do you look so…troubled?"

Truth be told, Tooth didn't exactly know how to answer that either. She had spent the other night shifting restlessly under her covers with an unexplainable guilt pestering her mind and yet she didn't exactly know what was wrong. "He seems like a really nice guy and I guess I kind of feel bad for not being entirely honest with him. " She mused aloud.

"Well what didn't you tell him?"

"Practically everything."

"And what do you mean by _everything?_ Don't tell me you faked your name."

"No, of course I told him my name…I just skipped the part where I was striving to become an actor."

"And why is that?"

"It just seemed a bit silly, you know. He's my age and he's already got a secure job while I'm still…." Tooth threw her hands around in frustration as she tried to fish for the right word. "Well, you could say I'm still…floundering around and apparently I'm horrible at that too."

"First of all, what you are doing is _not _silly, okay?" Tooth looked like she wanted to protest but M.K only held up a hand to stop her. "Second, from what I saw the other day, Jack seems to be into you so it's obvious that you'll be seeing him again—and hey you've really got a big crush don't you? I've never seen you so upset about something like this."

"Hey, I'm not the only one with a crush. What's that guy's name, the one in your study group you keep ranting about? Ned? Nate?"

"It's Nod" M.K corrected and shoved her away playfully.

_Clink!_

The bell chimed for the second time today and it was soon followed by the soft chatter that belonged to a new group of diners. Tooth let out a silent groan and turned to grin at M.K when she heard her doing the same.

_Another day of work…_

* * *

Working together as a concept artist and a storyboard artist also meant being confined in the same room for hours, and out of all the conversations they had so far, Hiccup couldn't help but notice how the topic would always linger on the girl that Jack met at the diner. Of course it doesn't take a genius to notice his apparent attachment to her, though when Hiccup had pointed that out, Jack only gave him a dismissive shrug as a response and brought up a completely different subject just to stir the old topic elsewhere.

It was how they wound up here, with Hiccup sprawled across the leather couch in the middle of their studio, wearing the haughtiest (yet somewhat lopsided) grin he could muster and with Jack practically hunched over his desk as he scribbled fervently into his sketchbook, pretending to work on new concepts even though he wasn't exactly getting any ideas at all.

"So does it normally take you this long to ask someone out?" Hiccup spoke up again after a few minutes of silence, peering over the back rest of the couch and expecting Jack to be glaring daggers at him but was a little surprised to see him pretending to be distraught still.

"What?" Jack said, pausing mid-stroke on his sketch to crumple the slip of paper and toss it over his head. It's true that he _was _distraught, although he was more concerned of thinking up another way to lead Hiccup off the conversation rather than getting Tooth off his mind.

"It's obvious that you are getting attached to Tooth," the brunette clarified. "So why don't you just ask her out?"

"It's not like you did any better with Astrid," Jack countered deftly, smirking once he caught Hiccup shifting uncomfortably on his perch. "Seriously, how did you go through _two _proms with her without so much as inviting her out for coffee? Oh and don't get me started on _the way _you asked her to prom—she could barely understand you."

"Okay Jack, I already admitted I was a wimp before."

Jack couldn't help but let out a chuckle. His earliest memory of Hiccup was an awkward, scrawny fifteen-year-old whom he had defended from Dagur the Deranged back when no one else wouldn't and he remembered they had been good friends ever since. They went to college together with Hiccup threatening to overtake him in height and was now a good three inches taller than him. Not that anyone could call him a wimp anymore but Jack chose to continue his pointless rant in hopes of getting rid of the previous topic for good.

"For all I've known, you've been crushing on Astrid ever since you were in middle school and you just started officially dating her _this year. _Hate to break it to you buddy, but you're almost twenty-four."

"So," Hiccup propped himself onto his elbows in order to face Jack. "You're going to wait ten years before you finally ask her out on a date too?"

_Here they go again. _Apparently Hiccup was keen on making him suffer this conversation for the rest of this day. Jack couldn't help but think about the irony of the situation since he's the one who normally gets the upper hand on arguments like this. He was tempted to leave it alone and ignore Hiccup until the end of the day but a part of him still felt the need to say more. "Of course I'm not going to wait _that _long—just give it a little time."

Hiccup left a short moment's pause—which he assumed to be a contemplative silence, before he spoke up again. "Hey, you said she wasn't from around here, didn't you?"

Jack finally drew his eyes away from his work and addressed his inquiry with a raised brow. "Yeah, why's that?"

"Well, I dunno but…" Hiccup got up from the couch, crossed the room in a few strides and plopped himself into the empty seat next to Jack. "There might be a possibility that she might be leaving soon, so maybe you should hurry up before you lose your chance."

Jack leaned back into his seat for a moment, somewhat dazed as he took the idea into consideration.

* * *

Jack could say Hiccup looked somewhat pleased with himself after he announced that he will be heading to the diner for lunch, though when he asked him If he wanted to tag along, the brunette had politely declined knowing that he'd eventually become the third wheel if he did.

Jack found himself wishing Hiccup_ had _come along now that he was standing outside the café with nothing to say, at least it would be a lot less awkward if he was pretending to be in an idle conversation with someone.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his wind breaker jacket, he pressed his shoulder against the glass door and pushed it open, making his way inside the café with a casual saunter. The first sight that greeted Jack was Tooth unknowingly dashing passed him with a tray full of pastry, only to skid into a halt and turn on her heels to give him a double take. "Oh! Jack, hey! Uh…I didn't know you were coming."

She tripped over herself as she stopped and the plates of parties would have slid off the tray if Jack hadn't reached out to steady it. "Woah! Hey be careful with that!"

"Oh! I'm sorry," The smile Tooth gave him was a little sheepish as she searched around her for an empty table to place the tray of pastries on, although she found none.

Taking in her flushed face, the slight sweat that visibly plastered her bangs to her forehead and the bustling café around them, Jack could tell she busy and for a moment he was tempted to just leave but Tooth made a gesture to take a seat, promising she'll get back to him once she has the orders sorted out.

Jack picked the roundtable situated at the center of the room since the one by the window was currently occupied. Once Tooth returned holding a notepad in hand, Jack was still staring blankly at the menu in thoughtful silence as he mulled over what to say.

"So what can I get you?" Tooth looked like she wanted to clear her throat but thought it would be rude to do so as she stood beside him with her fingers fiddling with the loose threads of her apron.

"I was wondering if you were free to get a drink with me later, maybe after your shift?" Jack asked, peering at her over the menu.

_Oh_ Tooth mouthed to herself, holding the pen uncertainly over her notepad, as if uncertain of what to do next_. _Jack was almost sure that he'd get a no, or perhaps maybe a made up excuse but all the dubious thoughts that began to plague his mind eventually dissolved once a familiar smile lit his view.

"Yeah sure, I guess I'm free later."

* * *

**Song: Brave by Sara Bareilles **

**Just a side note: I added another scene in the last chapter. Sorry if this chapter may have caused some confusion because of that, but I supposed it's perfectly understandable even if you hadn't read the additional scene.**

**As always, thank you for reading! Your feedback would be appreciate as well :D**


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